Doha: Fifa president Sepp Blatter criticised the IOC Friday while defending his own organisation against corruption allegations, saying that the Olympic body handles its finances “like a housewife.” “Our accounts are open to everyone. We’ve (done) it since I’m the president. The IOC does it like a housewife. She receives some money and she spends some money.”

Melbourne: Lambasting the decision-making in CA post Ashes debacle, former cricketer Dean Jones Friday said the national team needs Steve Waugh as their coach for resurrection. In an indirect attack on current coach Tim Nielsen, Jones said the Board should not give the serious job of coaching to those who do not have any experience of playing Test cricket.

Karachi: Pakistan’s suspended trio of Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamir Friday recorded their statements to the anti-corruption tribunal of the International Cricket Council, in Doha. Well-placed sources said that Pakistan’s one-day captain, Shahid Afridi, had also recorded his statement to the three-member tribunal via teleconference from Karachi.

Karachi: In his bid to make a comeback to the national team, out of favour Pakistan leg spinner Danish Kaneria has filed a letter to the PCB seeking explanation about the cricket Board’s decision to ignore him for the World Cup. Kaneria, through his London-based lawyer, Stephen Hourigan, asked the PCB to fix up a meeting and sort out the issue of him getting a clearance to play for the national team.

London: Despite all preparations almost complete for the 2012 London Olympics, the organisers of the £9.3billion mega event are now faced with some genuine problem as London could suffer a solar storm during the Games, a British daily reported Friday.

Perth: Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat Britain’s Laura Robson 6-4, 6-2 on Friday to secure the win the US needed to reach Saturday’s Hopman Cup final. The US team of Mattek-Sands and John Isner will meet Belgium, who advanced after Serbia had to withdraw from the tournament because of an injury to Ana Ivanovic.